


Awakening to the Sun

by starlight_and_seafire



Series: Damerey Daily 2020 [32]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Life After War, Nightmares, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22885723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire
Summary: Sleep doesn’t come easily for either of them anymore. But she’s finding that when one of them is in pain, is hurting and sleepless, that the other one is there for them.Always.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Series: Damerey Daily 2020 [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588837
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: Damerey Daily 2020





	Awakening to the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> For the Damerey Daily 1/6/20 prompt: Say that you’ll hold me forever; say that the wind won’t change on us.

Sometimes, at night, she still sees that island, alone and isolated.

Sometimes, she still feels her body chained to a table, sees a gloved hand stretched towards her preparing to invade the deepest, most secret parts of her, breathes in the dank air of an underground cavern, senses the very epitome of evil standing before her —

Tonight’s one of the bad nights, like it so often is nowadays, and she struggles awake from her nightmare, sweating and gasping for breath. She slips out of bed and tiptoes outside, sitting on the front stoop with her arms resting on her knees, as she breathes deeply, slowly, in an attempt to calm her racing heartbeat.

“You should have knocked on my door,” Poe says from behind her, his voice soft and gentle in an attempt not to startle her.

She appreciates the caution, but the warm and comforting light that seems to be an innate part of him has preceded him once again. She could sense his worry for her the moment he had awoken to her footsteps heading out of her room across the hall from him at his father’s house.

She knew he would come check on her, like he’s done so many nights before.

She grins at him, but it’s something rough and sad. “You didn’t exactly get much sleep last night either.”

He had woken up last night choking on a scream. She found him minutes later in the kitchen making tea.

He already had a second mug set out waiting for her.

Without either of them having to say anything, it had long since become a mutual arrangement of sorts.

Sleep doesn’t come easily for either of them anymore. But she’s finding that when one of them is in pain, is hurting and sleepless, that the other one is there for them.

Always.

His answering grin is rueful as he slides down to sit next to her. “Doesn’t matter.”

He lifts his arm up, a question. He’s waiting for her to answer, waiting for her to decide whether she wants contact or not. Even with Poe, who she’s so comfortable with, who she actually _likes_ touching . . . sometimes she just can’t stomach the contact, after so long alone on Jakku.

She thinks for a moment, as he waits patiently, before she moves in close and tucks herself under his arm, snuggling into his side.

He squeezes, the touch both gentle and firm and she sighs, already feeling her shoulders relax. “You wake me up if you need to.” His thumb rubs against her shoulder. “You’ve got me. We’ve got each other.”

They sit together on that front stoop, as the moon sets and the faint dawn light begins to illuminate the morning sky. Long after the memory of her nightmares have faded, she remains sitting there in Poe’s embrace, something in his gentle, comforting presence soothing her soul.

She knows the past hasn’t exactly been kind to either of them.

But together, maybe the future will be better.


End file.
